The present invention relates to an apparatus for conveying sheet-type flat items that consist of a flexible material, in particular sheets of paper, to a sheet-collecting location. Such an apparatus may include at least one lower belt conveyor and one upper belt conveyor, which is arranged above the lower belt conveyor.
European patent document EP 0 249 874 A1, discloses a machine for stacking and bundling printed sheets. This known machine is provided with a lower belt conveyor and an upper belt conveyor. For the purpose of removing a jam, the lower belt conveyor can swivel downward and out of the operating position, with the help of a cylinder piston.
German patent document DE 29 20 667 A1 describes an apparatus for stacking print products. This known apparatus comprises, among other things, a transfer-out device which consists of an upper belt and a lower belt. The transfer-out device is positioned such that it can swivel on one side, wherein the swiveling movement is controlled by a spindle drive and serves to adjust a desired height for removing the stack to be formed.
German patent document DE 34 48 456 A1 discloses an apparatus for diverting a partial flow from an overlapping flow of print products and conveying it to a processing station. Among other things, this known apparatus comprises a conveyor that can be swiveled with the help of a pneumatic cylinder to move between two discharge levels.
A compression rolling machine is known from European patent document EP 352 694 A1 for the automatic rolling of documents. This known machine is not provided with a belt conveyor, but with two roller conveyors arranged in the shape of a V, of which the upper roller conveyor can be swiveled upward for the purpose of removing a jam.
An apparatus for collecting paper of varying length, in particular label strips, is disclosed in German patent document DE 197 03 222 A1. This known apparatus is provided with a lower belt conveyor, but not with an upper belt conveyor. Instead, a roller conveyor is arranged above the lower belt conveyor, which can be swiveled upward for the purpose of removing a jam.
In a similar manner, German patent document DE 198 40 420 A1 discloses an apparatus for conveying sheet-type goods, in particular banknotes. The known apparatus also comprises a lower belt conveyor and no upper belt conveyor. Instead it is also provided with an above-arranged upper roller conveyor, which can be swiveled upward for the purpose of removing a jam.
A device for forming an overlapping flow, which is arranged downstream of a cross cutter, is described respectively in German patent document DE 199 45 114 A1 and the corresponding European patent document EP 1 214 264 A1. This known apparatus comprises a transfer-out device, upper and lower acceleration belts, and a suction box with a downstream-arranged lower belt that functions as a deceleration belt. The distance between the upper belts and the conveying plane can be adjusted in order to adapt to the thickness of the overlapping flow to be formed. The upper and the lower belts can furthermore be adjusted in the conveying direction and counter to the conveying direction for a change in the format, wherein the transfer-out device is also embodied swiveling for the purpose of removing a jam.